UN chief urges NKorea to reconsider rocket launch

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging North Korea to reconsider its plan to launch a long-range rocket.

Ban’s office said in a statement that he made the comments Saturday during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Ban arrived in Seoul earlier in the day to attend next week’s Nuclear Security Summit.

North Korea says it will launch an observation satellite on a long-range rocket next month. The United States and South Korea fear Pyongyang wants to test long-range missiles that could eventually deliver nuclear warheads.